Tree-prop



D. IBARKER.

(No Model.)

TREE PROP.

No. 473,412. Paltented Apr. 19, 18.92.

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DOUGLAS BARKER, OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA.

TREE-PROP.

SPECIFICATION forming part .of Letters Patent No. 473,412, dated April 19, 1892.

Application filed September 24, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DOUGLAS BARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverside, in the county of San Bernardino, in the State of California, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Tree-Propping Apparatus, of which the followingis aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of supports in which a hook is attached to a crabplate which is provided with a clutch-hole adapted to receive a prop-bar therein and grip such bar when the crab-plate is canted by weight being applied to the hook.

The object of my invention is to adapt hangers of this class to practical usein supporters for the limbs of fruit-trees.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a prop-bar with two hangers thereon and my improved adjuster ready to be applied to adjust the hanger. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my improved hanger. Fig. 3 is a plain side elevation of a prop in position to support a limb, the adjuster being shown in position for withdrawal after the hanger has been adj usted. Fig. 4 is an axial mid-section of the prop with the adjuster in position for shifting the hanger.

I11 countries where much fruit is raised, as in California, immense quantities of props are required during the fruiting season, and the item of props is one of considerable expense to the orohardists.

The object of my invention is to produce a hanger which may be constructed of very light metal and yet possess the requisite strength, and whereby one standard may be utilized to support several limbs, and the hangers may be adjusted to the proper height or removed instantly without the use of a step-ladder, thus enabling the orchardist at slight cost to provide sufficient support for the limbs and adjust them in place with comparatively little labor.

My improved crab prop-hook consists of a plate A, of sheet metal, provided at one edge with the curved semi-tubular hook-arm B, and also provided with the clutch-hole O,entirely encircled by the plate and arranged to receive the prop-bar or standard D. The clutch-hole is serrated at its front and rear margins at Serial No. 365,979. (No model.)

the edges 0 c, which are transverse to the axis of the hook-arm and engage the prop-bar when the plate is canted by the weight of the hook. The object of constructing the crabhook as shown is to secure cheapn ess, together with such form as will not injure the limb propped. In practice the plates may be stamped out from a fiat sheet of metal and the tongue or arm B then bent and curved into the semi-tubular form shown.

By forming the crab plate and hook from a plate of sheet metal and leaving the clutchhole entirely encircled by the metal I am enabledto use much thinner and lighter material than would be required were one side of the clutch-holeopen. Alsobyroundingandcurving the edges of the hook into semi-tubular form I accomplish two objects, viz: A smooth surface is presented toward the limb of the tree, thus avoiding all bruising of the bark, and the semi-tubular form also strengthens the hook, so that much lighter material may be used for the plate and hook than if the hook were made fiat.

In practice the prop is placed in among the limbs of the tree, and the hangers are arranged at suitable distances along the prop to support the limbs, as required, several limbs being supported by the same prop and at heights varying from four to fifteen feet from the ground. My hanger would be undesirable as a tree-prop if the operator were required to provide a step-ladder when desired to adjust the hangers both on account of the inconvenience of procuring the ladder and also because of the difficulty of making a passage for the operator among the lower limbs of the tree in order to reach and adjust the hangers which are beyond his reach when standing upon the ground. This is especially true in orangetrees, in which the limbs are covered with thorns.

In order to adapt my hanger to practical use as a limb-supporter, I provide the adjuster E, which consists of a bar or handle 1), provided at its upper end with two prbngs e e, projecting beyond the facef and upper end g of the handle, and having its upper edge h of the prongs at an angle with the axis of the handle sharper. than the angle which the crabplate of the hanger forms with the axis of the prop when the hanger is in its cramped or clamping positionyas shown in Figs. 1 and 3, so thatwhen the adjuster is held with the prongs against the under side of the crab-plate of the hanger with the facefof the handle close to-the standard, as shown in Fig. 3, the prongs engage the under face of the crabplate of the hanger only on that side of the axis of the standard opposite the hook.

It will be seen that in order to secure the proper correspondence of parts to give satisfactory results when the adjuster is used the adjuster, hanger,and prop mustbe constructed with relation to each other so that the angle which the crab-plate forms with the prop-bar will be such as to allow the adjuster to operate as above described. When it is desired to raise or lower the hanger, the adjuster is placed in position with its handle drawn away from the prop or bar, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and is pushed up against the under face of the crab-plate, and the hook is lifted by the heel e of the adjuster, thus relieving the clamp formed by the plate when the hook is depressed, as in Fig. This allows the hanger to be moved freely up and down. To avoid friction between the handle of the adjuster and the prop-bar, the corner 72 of the handle is rounded, as shown in Fig. 4.

I am aware of the patent to R. A. Edmonston, No. 141,4:98, dated August 5, 1878, which shows a scaffold, crab, or hanger having a clutch-hole which is open upon one side; but this device is not designed for and would be undesirable as a supporter for limbs of fruittrees, because, being open on one side, that portion of the crab which embraces the support must be made of comparatively heavy metal in order to give it the required strength, thus increasing the cost, and in adjusting the hanger with my improved adjuster there would be great liability of the same slipping ofl. of the support. Furthermore, no satisfactory way of adjusting them has been devised excepting by the hand of the operator. I do not claim the construction shown and claimed in his said patent; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The hanger herein described, comprising a body portion with a central opening and a hook-arm curved transversely and longitudinall y.

DOUGLAS BARKER. Witnesses:

JAMES R. TOWNSEND, \VILLIAM S. RUBY. 

